Method and apparatus for controlling a display on a light device in a gaming unit

ABSTRACT

A gaming machine having a light device coupled to the gaming machine by a peripheral bus connection. The gaming machine capable of reading a pattern file, containing a light pattern display. The gaming machine further capable of sending the light display pattern to a light device controller via the peripheral bus connection. The light device controller capable of parsing the light display pattern, interpreting the pattern to be capable of generation on the light device, and causing the pattern to be generated on the light device.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present disclosure relates to gaming units and, more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling a display on a light device in a gaming unit.

[0002] Conventional gaming units are typically provided with a cabinet and a gaming display mounted inside the cabinet. The gaming display may be mechanical, such as a series of stepper wheels, may be electronic such as a video display that is capable of generating video images, or may be a combination of the two, such as a stepper wheel with an electronic video display attached thereto. Whether mechanical, electronic, or combination, the gaming display of conventional gaming units has generated images associated with a gaming system, such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, or bingo.

[0003] While the gaming display is the primary functional component, many gaming units include one or more design or stylistic elements to attract a player's attention to the gaming unit. Such stylistic elements include the use of certain color schemes or themes, and back-lit, semi-opaque panels having artwork or gaming information printed thereon. In addition to design or stylistic elements, many gaming units incorporate stylistic or function lighting elements to attract a player's attention. For example, a gaming unit may include flashing lights to attract a player.

[0004] In addition to attracting a player's attention, many gaming units incorporate additional stylistic or functional elements to keep the player's attention as long as possible by increasing the play value of the gaming unit. For example, a typical gaming unit may have a special or bonus mode that is triggered as a result of a certain outcome of the gaming session. During bonus mode, the gaming unit runs a different gaming session or provides increased value payouts, thereby enhancing the play value.

[0005] In order to attract a player, or to adequately alert the player when a special or bonus mode is triggered, the typical gaming unit has been provided with an illuminated bezel, which comprises a transparent material that allows a plurality of lights to be viewed therethrough when the lights are illuminated. These displays are typically operated by a proprietary controller operatively connected to the gaming unit through a proprietary channel such as Senet or Netplex.

[0006] Each light device needs a controller to control the plurality of lights. These light device controllers can only be used in gaming machines that support the proprietary channels. Moreover, it is difficult to retrieve information regarding the controller and the physical lights via these proprietary channels. For example, a Senet light controller cannot inform the typical gaming unit that there is a hardware problem, without complicated custom programming or custom hardware additions. Similarly, the typical gaming unit is unable to determine whether the desired illumination is supported by the physical light device.

[0007] The use of a gaming machine having a plurality of gaming peripherals, each communicating with a master gaming controller via a standard peripheral interface is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,014 to Stockdale, et al.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The invention is directed to a gaming apparatus that may comprise a display unit capable of generating video images, a value input device, a light device, a gaming unit controller, and a light device controller. The gaming unit controller may comprise a processor and a memory, and may be programmed to allow a person to wager on the outcome of a video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo game. The gaming unit controller may be further programmed to initiate a light display on the light device by utilizing a pattern file. The pattern file may contain light display pattern frames, which when parsed and interpreted by the light device controller, may display on the light device.

[0009] Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a gaming system in accordance with the invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of one of the gaming units shown schematically in FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 2A illustrates an embodiment of a control panel for a gaming unit;

[0013]FIG. 2B illustrates an embodiment of a light device for a gaming unit;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic components of the gaming unit of FIG. 2;

[0015]FIG. 3A is a block diagram of the electronic components of the light controller of FIG. 3;

[0016]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

[0017]FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more of the gaming units;

[0018]FIG. 6A is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during initiation of a light pattern display by one or more of the gaming units;

[0019]FIG. 6B is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main routine that may be performed during display of a light pattern by the light controller of FIG. 3;

[0020]FIG. 6C is a flowchart of an embodiment of a main pattern creation routine that may be performed by the gaming system;

[0021]FIG. 7 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video poker routine of FIG. 8;

[0022]FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video poker routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

[0023]FIG. 9 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video blackjack routine of FIG. 10;

[0024]FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video blackjack routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

[0025]FIG. 11 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the slots routine of FIG. 12;

[0026]FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a slots routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

[0027]FIG. 13 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video keno routine of FIG. 14;

[0028]FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

[0029]FIG. 15 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video bingo routine of FIG. 16;

[0030]FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video bingo routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units;

[0031]FIG. 17 is an illustration of an embodiment of a visual display that may be displayed during performance of the video pachinko routine of FIG. 17; and

[0032]FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video pachinko routine that may be performed by one or more of the gaming units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.

[0034] It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph.

[0035]FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of a casino gaming system 10 in accordance with the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the casino gaming system 10 may include a first group or network 12 of casino gaming units 20 operatively coupled to a network computer 22 via a network data link or bus 24. The casino gaming system 10 may include a second group or network 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupled to a network computer 32 via a network data link or bus 34. The first and second gaming networks 12, 26 may be operatively coupled to each other via a network 40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a local area network (LAN) via a first network link 42 and a second network link 44.

[0036] The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first casino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second casino located in a separate geographic location than the first casino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or they may be located in different states. The network 40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where the network 40 comprises the Internet, data communication may take place over the communication links 42, 44 via an Internet communication protocol.

[0037] The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 20. For example, the network computer 22 may continuously receive data from each of the gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers being made on each of the gaming units 20, data indicative of how much each of the gaming units 20 is paying out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 32 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to the gaming units 30 as the network computer 22 described above.

[0038] Although each network 12, 26 is shown to include one network computer 22, 32 and four gaming units 20, 30, it should be understood that different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized. For example, the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers 22 and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may be interconnected via the data link 24. The data link 24 may be provided as a dedicated hardwired link or a wireless link. Although the data link 24 is shown as a single data link 24, the data link 24 may comprise multiple data links.

[0039]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one possible embodiment of one or more of the gaming units 20. Although the following description addresses the design of the gaming units 20, it should be understood that the gaming units 30 may have the same design as the gaming units 20 described below. It should be understood that the design of one or more of the gaming units 20 may be different than the design of other gaming units 20, and that the design of one or more of the gaming units 30 may be different than the design of other gaming units 30. Each gaming unit 20 may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various different structures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, various designs of the gaming units 20 are described below, but it should be understood that numerous other designs may be utilized.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 2, the casino gaming unit 20 may include a housing or cabinet 50 and one or more input devices, which may include a coin slot or acceptor 52, a paper currency acceptor 54, a ticket reader/printer 56 and a card reader 58, which may be used to input value to the gaming unit 20. A value input device may include any device that can accept value from a customer. As used herein, the term “value” may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, smart cards, and any other object representative of value.

[0041] If provided on the gaming unit 20, the ticket reader/printer 56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. The ticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award, and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticket vouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to both read and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In the latter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticket printers 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which could then be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticket readers 56.

[0042] If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card. If provided for player tracking purposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or write data to, player tracking cards that are capable of storing data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, etc.

[0043] The gaming unit 20 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coin payout tray 64, an input control panel 66, a color video display unit 70 for displaying images relating to the game or games provided by the gaming unit 20, and a light device 71, such as, for example, an illuminated light bezel. The audio speakers 62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcements or any other audio related to a casino game. The input control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc. The light device 71 may be coupled to the front face of the cabinet 50 and may enclose a plurality of lights 85.

[0044]FIG. 2A illustrates one possible embodiment of the control panel 66, which may be used where the gaming unit 20 is a slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. Referring to FIG. 2A, the control panel 66 may include a “See Pays” button 72 that, when activated, causes the display unit 70 to generate one or more display screens showing the odds or payout information for the game or games provided by the gaming unit 20. As used herein, the term “button” is intended to encompass any device that allows a player to make an input, such as an input device that must be depressed to make an input selection or a display area that a player may simply touch. The control panel 66 may include a “Cash Out” button 74 that may be activated when a player decides to terminate play on the gaming unit 20, in which case the gaming unit 20 may return value to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to the player via the payout tray 64.

[0045] If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of paylines which define winning combinations of reel symbols, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 76, each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.

[0046] If the gaming unit 20 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit 20 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming unit 20 may be provided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the “5” button 76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the “3” button 78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).

[0047] The control panel 66 may include a “Max Bet” button 80 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. The control panel 66 may include a spin button 82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.

[0048] In FIG. 2A, a rectangle is shown around the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82. It should be understood that that rectangle simply designates, for ease of reference, an area in which the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 may be located. Consequently, the term “control panel” should not be construed to imply that a panel or plate separate from the housing 50 of the gaming unit 20 is required, and the term “control panel” may encompass a plurality or grouping of player activatable buttons.

[0049] Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, it should be understood that different buttons could be utilized in the control panel 66, and that the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on the gaming unit 20. Although the control panel 66 is shown to be separate from the display unit 70, it should be understood that the control panel 66 could be generated by the display unit 70. In that case, each of the buttons of the control panel 66 could be a colored area generated by the display unit 70, and some type of mechanism may be associated with the display unit 70 to detect when each of the buttons was touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.

[0050] Furthermore, although one possible display unit 70 is described above, it should be understood that different embodiments could be utilized in the display unit 70. For example, the display unit 70 may be a plurality of physical reels controlled by stepper motors as commonly known in the art. In that case, a player initiates spinning of the reels through any number of means, including pushing the spin button 82. The physical reel may then be rotated and observed by the player through a display glass. The spinning reel may then be stopped and the outcome of the game determined.

[0051]FIG. 2B illustrates one possible embodiment of the light device 71, which may be used where the gaming unit 20 is a slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or “virtual” reels. The light device 71 may be operatively coupled to the front face of the cabinet 50 of the gaming unit 20, as shown in FIG. 2. The light device 71 may extend around the color video display unit 70 to provide an attractive “frame” for the display unit 70. The light device 71 may be formed of a transparent plastic material which allows a player to view a plurality of lights 85 positioned within or behind the light device 71. In one embodiment, the light device 71 may be constructed of molded plastic having an aperture sized to provide an unobstructed view of the display unit 70 when the light device 71 is attached to the front face of the cabinet 50.

[0052] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of lights 85 may be disposed within a number of light segments 84, for example, ninety light segments. Each light segment 84 may be a logical or physical subdivision of the light device 71. Each segment 84 may be lit individually by a single light 85 or may be illuminated by several light emitting diodes (LEDs). By providing several LEDs, for example a red LED 88, a green LED 90 and a blue LED 92, an assortment of different colors per segment 84 may be generated. Moreover, it will be understood that the light device 71 may be any physical shape, and may have any number of light display attributes, including, for example, any number of segments, any number of supported colors, and any number of contrast and/or brightness settings. Furthermore, the light device may comprise any known or yet to be developed type of light device, including, by way of example, a cathode ray tube, an organic light emitting device, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display, or the like.

Gaming Unit Electronics

[0053]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a number of components that may be incorporated in the gaming unit 20. Referring to FIG. 3, the gaming unit 20 may include a controller 100 that may comprise a program memory 102, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory (RAM) 106 and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus 110. It should be appreciated that although only one microprocessor 104 is shown, the controller 100 may include multiple microprocessors 104. Similarly, the memory of the controller 100 may include multiple RAMs 106 and multiple program memories 102. Although the I/O circuit 108 is shown as a single block, it should be appreciated that the I/O circuit 108 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) 104 and program memories 102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.

[0054] Although the program memory 102 is shown in FIG. 3 as a read-only memory (ROM) 102, the program memory of the controller 100 may be a read/write or alterable memory, such as a hard disk. In the event a hard disk is used as a program memory, the address/data bus 110 shown schematically in FIG. 3 may comprise multiple address/data buses, which may be of different types, and there may be an I/O circuit disposed between the address/data buses.

[0055]FIG. 3 illustrates that the control panel 66, the coin acceptor 52, the bill acceptor 54, the card reader 58 and the ticket reader/printer 56 may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108, each component being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the design of the component that is used. Additionally, a sequencer 111 may also be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108. The sequencer 111 may be implemented by software, hardware or firmware as is well known in the art. The sequencer 111 may function as a mixer, synchronizer and manager of video and audio presentations by the gaming unit 20. The speaker(s) 62 may be operatively coupled to a sound circuit 112, that may comprise a voice- and sound-synthesis circuit or that may comprise a driver circuit. The sound-generating circuit 112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit 108.

[0056] The components 52, 54, 56, 58, 66, 111, 112, as shown, may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a respective direct line or conductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, one or more of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by a number of components. Furthermore, some of the components may be directly connected to the microprocessor 104 without passing through the I/O circuit 108.

[0057]FIG. 3 also illustrates that the light device 71 may be operatively connected to the I/O circuit 108, via a light controller 114. The use of a gaming machine having a plurality of gaming peripherals, each communicating with a gaming machine controller via a standard peripheral bus connection is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,014 to Stockdale, et al., and is hereby incorporated by reference. In the present example, the light controller 114 may be coupled to the I/O circuit 108 by a standard peripheral bus connection 116, for example a Universal Serial Bus (USB) version 1.1 standard peripheral bus. The light device 71 may be operatively connected to the light controller 114 by an address/data bus 118 which may be either a unidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link, depending on the design of the component that is used.

[0058] The standard peripheral bus connection 116 may be a plug-and-play interface between the controller 100 and the light controller 114. With the bus connection 116, a new light device 71 may be added to the gaming unit 20 without having to add an adapter card or even having to turn the gaming unit 20 off. The plug-and-play bus connection 116 may give the gaming unit 20 operator the ability to plug a light device 71 into the gaming unit 20 and have the gaming unit 20 recognize that the light device 71 is there. For instance, if the light device 71 is newly connected to the controller 100 via the standard peripheral bus connection 116, the controller 100 may send a “discover” request asking if there were any light devices connected. The light device 71 may then identify itself to the controller 100. The light device 71 may also be able to report errors to the controller 100, such as a non-functioning light, and allow the controller 100 to report the error accordingly.

[0059]FIG. 3A is a block diagram of a number of components that may be incorporated in the light controller 114. Referring to FIG. 3A, the light controller 114 may include a peripheral bus connector 120, a light device connector 122, and a light controller microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 124. As will be understood, the light controller 114 may also have a program memory 126, a random-access memory (RAM) 128 and a jumper 130 for configuring hardware settings. All of the components may be interconnected via an address/data bus 132. Additionally, the light controller 114 may include a light device input/output (I/O) circuit 122. The light device 71 may be connected to the light device I/O circuit 122 via the address/data bus 118. The light controller 114 may be self-powered (e.g., receives power from an external source) or bus-powered (e.g., receives power from the bus 116). The light controller 114 may be operatively coupled to a plurality of light devices 71, and furthermore, the light device 71 may be operatively coupled to a plurality of light controllers 114.

[0060] The light controller 114 may be controlled by software, hardware, or firmware, located in the light controller MP 124, in program memory 126, or both. If firmware is used, the firmware may be responsible for interpreting lighting commands from the gaming unit 20 controller 100, as is described in detail below. Upon interpretation of the lighting commands, the light controller 114 may send the appropriate lighting commands to the lights 85 via the data link 118. Specifically, the lights 85 may be electrically connected together, or independently to the data link 118, and may be illuminated upon receiving the appropriate command from the light controller 114.

[0061] The light device 71 may be connected to the light device I/O circuit 122 via a direct line or conductor. Different connection schemes could be used. For example, the light device 71 may be connected to the light device I/O circuit 122 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by a number of light devices. Furthermore, the light device 71 may be directly connected to the light controller MP 124 without passing through the light device I/O circuit 122. Still further, the light device I/O circuit 122 may be operatively connected to a plurality of light devices 71.

Overall Operation of Gaming Unit

[0062] One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or more of the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts which represent a number of portions or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of the controller 100. The computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, or by an Internet interface that connects the gaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the network computers 22, 32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C++, C#, Java or the like or any low-level assembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions of the memories 102, 106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.

[0063]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a main operating routine 200 that may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. Referring to FIG. 4, the main routine 200 may begin operation at block 202 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit 20. The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62. The attraction sequence may include a scrolling list of games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or video images of various games being played, such as video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, etc.

[0064] During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 204, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on the display unit 70 at block 206 to allow the player to select a game available on the gaming unit 20. The gaming unit 20 may detect an input at block 204 in various ways. For example, the gaming unit 20 could detect if the player presses any button on the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit 20; the gaming unit 20 could determine if player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.

[0065] The game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. While the game-selection display is generated, the gaming unit 20 may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 208, the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the game routines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjack routine 220, a slots routine 230, a video keno routine 240, a video bingo routine 250, and a video pachinko routine 252. At block 208, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation may branch back to block 202.

[0066] After one of the routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 252 has been performed to allow the player to play one of the games, block 260 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20 or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block 202. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 260, the routine may return to block 208 where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game.

[0067] It should be noted that although five gaming routines are shown in FIG. 4, a different number of routines could be included to allow play of a different number of games. The gaming unit 20 may also be programmed to allow play of different games.

[0068]FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an alternative main operating routine 300 that may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. The main routine 300 may be utilized for gaming units 20 that are designed to allow play of only a single game or single type of game. Referring to FIG. 5, the main routine 300 may begin operation at block 302 during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit 20. The attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62.

[0069] During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit 20 as determined at block 304, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may be generated on the display unit 70 at block 306. The game display generated at block 306 may include, for example, an image of the casino game that may be played on the gaming unit 20 and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit 20. At block 308, the gaming unit 20 may determine if the player requested information concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed at block 310. Block 312 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, in which case a game routine 320 may be performed. The game routine 320 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 252, or another game routine.

[0070] After the routine 320 has been performed to allow the player to play the game, block 322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit 20. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit 20, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a “Cash Out” button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 324 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation may then return to block 302. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 322, the operation may return to block 308.

Display Operating Routine

[0071] During performance of the main operating routine 200 or the alternative main operating routine 300 as described above, the controller 100 may initiate a light display on the lights 85. For example, the controller 100 may initiate a light display on the light device 71 during the attraction sequences 202, 302, for the purpose of attracting a player. It will be understood that the controller 100 may initiate a light display during various stages of the main operating routines 300, including during game play, or to inform the player of various game occurrences, such as bonus games, or winning play.

[0072]FIG. 6A is a flowchart of a main operating routine 330 that may be stored in the memory of the controller 100 to initiate the light display. Referring to FIG. 6A, the main routine 330 may begin operation at block 332 during which the controller 100 may read a pattern file 334 stored in the program memory 102. It will be appreciated that while in the disclosed example the pattern file 334 is stored in the program memory 102, it may be stored in any storage element, including any internal, or external storage device.

[0073] The pattern file 334 may specify a pattern that has approximately the same shape as the physical light device 71. The pattern file may contain a series of pattern frames with attributes such as: color; display duration; total segments supported, e.g., the preferred number of light segments; total number of pattern frames contained within the file; a delay counter; a compression type description, e.g., JPEG compression; and a pattern frame number.

[0074] The pattern file 334 may be created by a pattern file interface program which may operate on the controller 100, or alternatively, operate on a separate controller not shown. FIG. 6C is a flowchart of a main pattern creation routine 800 that may be stored in the memory of the controller 100 to create the pattern file 334. Referring to FIG. 6C, the main pattern creation routine 800 may begin operation at block 802 during which the controller 100 may read a pattern file 334 stored in the program memory 102 and determine if the pattern file 334 is complete. If the pattern file 334 is complete, the main pattern creation routine may terminate. Again, it will be appreciated that while in the disclosed example the pattern file 334 is stored in the program memory 102, it may be stored in any storage element, including any internal, or external storage device and moreover, the pattern file 334 may not have been created and thus, not stored in any storage device.

[0075] If the pattern file 334 is not complete, at a block 804, the pattern file 334 may be created as a new file, an existing pattern file 334 may be edited, or the pattern file 334 may be viewed. If the pattern file 334 is created as a new file, a new pattern file 334 may be created at a block 806. A pattern frame may be created at a block 808, and the attributes of the pattern frame may be modified at a block 810. If more pattern frames are desired to be created, processing may be returned to the block 808 by a block 812. Otherwise, the pattern file 334 may be saved at a block 814 and processing returned to the block 802.

[0076] If an existing pattern file 334 is modified, an existing pattern file 334 may be opened at a block 816. A pattern frame may be selected for modification or addition at a block 818, and the attributes of the chosen pattern frame may be modified at a block 820. If more pattern frames are desired to be modified or added, processing may be returned to the block 818 by a block 822. Otherwise, the pattern file 334 may be saved at a block 824 and processing returned to the block 802. To view a preview of the pattern file 334, the pattern frames may be visually cycled through at a block 826.

[0077] Returning to FIG. 6A, at a block 336 the controller 100 determines whether there is a pattern frame to display. If there is no pattern frame to display, the main routine 330 may terminate. If, however, there is a pattern frame to display, the controller 100 may send the pattern frame to the light controller 114 at a block 338 via peripheral bus connection 116. As is described below, in connection with FIG. 6B, the light controller 114 may process and display the pattern frame on the light device 71.

[0078] Upon sending the pattern frame to the light controller 114, the controller 100 may utilize the delay counter contained in the pattern file 334 to delay for a specified period of time. During the delay, the controller 100 may be free to continue processing the main operating routines 200, 300 as necessary. Once the delay is complete, the operation may return to the block 336.

[0079] While the pattern frame may usually be played in coordination with the specified delay, it may be desirable to coordinate the pattern frame display with other animations and/or sounds. For example, the gaming designer may wish for the light pattern frame to emphasize an event, such as, for example, an attraction sequence, a gaming win or the triggering of a bonus play, each of which are described below. Hence, the controller 100 may be programmed to utilize the sequencer 111 to synchronize the display of the light pattern frame with other gaming unit 20 animations and/or sounds by adjusting the delay counter contained in the pattern file 334.

[0080] To perform synchronization, the sequencer 111 may utilize the timing specified within the pattern file 334, or may utilize another timing source, such as the timing associated with the animation or sound being coordinated. For example, the pattern file 334 may contain two pattern frames while an attraction sequence may contain two distinct sequences. The sequencer 111 may synchronize the first pattern frame with the first attraction sequence, and synchronize the second pattern frame with the second attraction sequence.

Light Controller Operating Routine

[0081] Referring now to FIG. 6B, there is illustrated a flowchart of a main operating routine 340 that may be stored in the memory of the light controller 114 to display the light pattern frame. As described herein above, The main operating routine may be implemented by software, hardware, or firmware, located in the light controller MP 124, in program memory 126, or both.

[0082] The display pattern frame may be received at the light controller 114 by the peripheral bus connector 120 which is operatively connected to the peripheral bus connection 116. The peripheral bus connector 120 may transmit the pattern frame to the light controller MP 124 via the address/data bus 132. Once received by the light controller MP 124, the light controller 114 may parse the pattern file 334 at block 344. For instance, the light controller 114 may divide the pattern file 334 into the individual attributes contained within the file.

[0083] At a block 346, the light controller MP 124 may interpret the parsed pattern frame for proper display on the light device 71. Specifically, the pattern frame may include attributes not visually supported by the light device 71 and which may need to be altered to display correctly. For example, the pattern frame may specify a “light green” attribute, while the light device 71 only is capable of displaying one shade of green. In such a situation, the light controller MP 124 may interpret and adapt the “light green” to mean “green” as supported by the light device 71 and alter the attribute accordingly, thereby allowing the color to displaying as correctly as possible based on the limitations of the light device. Similarly, in another example, the pattern frame may specify forty-five segments, while the light device 71 may support ninety segments. In this instance, the light controller MP 124 may duplicate each segment to double the supported number of segments and thereby display correctly. Once the pattern frame is interpreted, at a block 348, the light controller MP 124 may send the modified pattern frame to the light device 71, via the light device connector 122, for display.

Video Poker

[0084]FIG. 7 is an exemplary display 350 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 7, the display 350 may include video images 352 of a plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such as five cards. To allow the player to control the play of the video poker game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Hold” button 354 disposed directly below each of the playing card images 352, a “Cash Out” button 356, a “See Pays” button 358, a “Bet One Credit” button 360, a “Bet Max Credits” button 362, and a “Deal/Draw” button 364. The display 350 may also include an area 366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 354, 356, 358, 360, 362, 364 may form part of the video display 350. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

[0085]FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the video poker routine 210 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 8, at block 370, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays” button 358, in which case at block 372 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 374, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by pressing the “Bet One Credit” button 360, in which case at block 376 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 378, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Bet Max Credits” button 362, in which case at block 380 bet data corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.

[0086] At block 382, the routine may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the “Deal/Draw” button 364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block 384 a video poker hand may be “dealt” by causing the display unit 70 to generate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block 386 the routine may determine if any of the “Hold” buttons 354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of the playing card images 352 are to be “held” may be stored in the controller 100 at block 388. If the “Deal/Draw” button 364 is activated again as determined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that was not “held” may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block 392.

[0087] At block 394, the routine may determine whether the poker hand represented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 396. At block 398, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 366 (FIG. 7).

[0088] Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.

Video Blackjack

[0089]FIG. 9 is an exemplary display 400 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 9, the display 400 may include video images 402 of a pair of playing cards representing a dealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other card being shown face down, and video images 404 of a pair of playing cards representing a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up. The “dealer” may be the gaming unit 20.

[0090] To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 406, a “See Pays” button 408, a “Stay” button 410, a “Hit” button 412, a “Bet One Credit” button 414, and a “Bet Max Credits” button 416. The display 400 may also include an area 418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 may form part of the video display 400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

[0091]FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 10, the video blackjack routine 220 may begin at block 420 where it may determine whether a bet has been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, by detecting the activation of either the “Bet One Credit” button 414 or the “Bet Max Credits” button 416. At block 422, bet data corresponding to the bet made at block 420 may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be “dealt” by making the playing card images 402, 404 appear on the display unit 70.

[0092] At block 426, the player may be allowed to be “hit,” in which case at block 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making another playing card image 404 appear in the display 400. If the player is hit, block 430 may determine if the player has “bust,” or exceeded 21. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and 428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.

[0093] If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hit if the dealer's hand totals 15 or less. If the dealer hits, at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making another playing card image 402 appear in the display 400. At block 436 the routine may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks 432, 434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.

[0094] If the dealer does not hit, at block 438 the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed 21. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440. At block 442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined at block 440. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 418 (FIG. 9).

Slots

[0095]FIG. 11 is an exemplary display 450 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 11, the display 450 may include video images 452 of a plurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols 454 associated therewith. Although the display 450 shows five reel images 452, each of which may have three reel symbols 454 that are visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.

[0096] To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 456, a “See Pays” button 458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons 460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to “spinning” the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a “Spin” button 464, and a “Max Bet” button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.

[0097]FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 12, at block 470, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays” button 458, in which case at block 472 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 474, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the payline-selection buttons 460, in which case at block 476 data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 478, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selection buttons 462, in which case at block 480 data corresponding to the amount bet per payline may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 482, the routine may determine whether the player has pressed the “Max Bet” button 466, in which case at block 484 bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-per-payline data) corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.

[0098] If the “Spin” button 464 has been activated by the player as determined at block 486, at block 488 the routine may cause the slot machine reel images 452 to begin “spinning” so as to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, the routine may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will be displayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At block 492, the routine may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displaying stationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for each stopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.

[0099] The routine may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reel images 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined at block 494, the routine may proceed to block 496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additional credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined at block 498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500. At block 502, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block 500.

[0100] Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on the display unit 70, actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized instead.

Video Keno

[0101]FIG. 13 is an exemplary display 520 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 13, the display 520 may include a video image 522 of a plurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the start of a keno game and a video image 524 of a plurality of numbers randomly selected during the keno game. The randomly selected numbers may be displayed in a grid pattern.

[0102] To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 526, a “See Pays” button 528, a “Bet One Credit” button 530, a “Bet Max Credits” button 532, a “Select Ticket” button 534, a “Select Number” button 536, and a “Play” button 538. The display 520 may also include an area 540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

[0103]FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in FIG. 4. The keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with a single gaming unit 20 where a single player is playing a keno game, or the keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by the controller 100 in each gaming unit or by one of the network computer 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 are operatively connected.

[0104] Referring to FIG. 14, at block 550, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays” button 528, in which case at block 552 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 554, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet One Credit” button 530 or the “Bet Max Credits” button 532, in which case at block 556 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. After the player has made a wager, at block 558 the player may select a keno ticket, and at block 560 the ticket may be displayed on the display 520. At block 562, the player may select one or more game numbers, which may be within a range set by the casino. After being selected, the player's game numbers may be stored in the memory of the controller 100 at block 564 and may be included in the image 522 on the display 520 at block 566. After a certain amount of time, the keno game may be closed to additional players (where a number of players are playing a single keno game using multiple gambling units 20).

[0105] If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, at block 570 a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by the controller 100 or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of other gaming units 20 (if any) which are involved in the same keno game. At block 574, the controller 100 (or the central computer noted above) may increment a count which keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected at block 570.

[0106] At block 576, the controller 100 (or one of the network computers 22, 32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, at block 578 the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.

[0107] If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined at block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570. At block 582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 540 (FIG. 13).

Video Bingo

[0108]FIG. 15 is an exemplary display 600 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 15, the display 600 may include one or more video images 602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selected during the game. The bingo card images 602 may have a grid pattern.

[0109] To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a “Cash Out” button 604, a “See Pays” button 606, a “Bet One Credit” button 608, a “Bet Max Credits” button 610, a “Select Card” button 612, and a “Play” button 614. The display 600 may also include an area 616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit 70 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit 70.

[0110]FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in FIG. 4. The bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with a single gaming unit 20 where a single player is playing a bingo game, or the bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units 20 where multiple players are playing a single bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by the controller 100 in each gaming unit 20 or by one of the network computers 22, 32 to which multiple gaming units 20 are operatively connected.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 16, at block 620, the routine may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the “See Pays” button 606, in which case at block 622 the routine may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit 70. At block 624, the routine may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the “Bet One Credit” button 608 or the “Bet Max Credits” button 610, in which case at block 626 bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.

[0112] After the player has made a wager, at block 628 the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly and displayed on the display unit 70 at a block 630. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select. After play is to commence as determined at block 632, at block 634 a bingo number may be randomly generated by the controller 100 or a central computer such as one of the network computers 22, 32. At block 636, the bingo number may be displayed on the display unit 70 and the display units 70 of any other gaming units 20 involved in the bingo game.

[0113] At block 638, the controller 100 (or a central computer) may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player has bingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640 whether the player playing that gaming unit 20 was the winner. If so, at block 642 a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block 644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (FIG. 15).

Video Pachinko

[0114]FIG. 17 is an exemplary display 650 that may be shown on the display unit 70 during performance of the video pachinko routine 252 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 17, the display 650 may include one or more video images of a pachinko board 652 and an image of a pachinko ball 654 used during the game. Typically, the video pachinko game outcome presentation on the display 70 may begin with the pachinko ball 654 from a ball reservoir 655 being placed on a ramp 656 in front of a plunger 657. The number of pachinko balls in the reservoir 655 may correspond to the number of credits a player has. Further, the number of credits represented by each ball may not be the same. For example, each ball may be color coded to represent a different wager amount. A silver ball might be worth 1 credit, a red ball might be worth 3 credits while a green ball might be worth 5 credits. The player may select a ball for a game from the ball reservoir 655 using gaming machine inputs including input buttons or a touch screen.

[0115] After a player selects a ball representing a certain wager amount and initiates a game play, the controller 100 may determine a game outcome and present a compatible game outcome presentation. On the display 70, a virtual plunger 657 may be drawn backward away from the ball 654 and then released. When the plunger 657 is released, it may move forward toward the ball 654 and may appear to strike the ball 654. After being hit by the plunger 657, the ball 654 may be launched up the ramp 656 into a game playing area 658. Typically, only one ball 654 may be launched up the ramp 656 at one time. However, two or more balls 654 may be launched at the same time, each ball 654 representing a different game with an independently calculated game outcome.

[0116] In the game playing area 658, balls 654 may appear to interact with different objects while falling through the game playing area 658 including pegs 659, an outer wall 660, and inner wall 661, flippers 662, bonus region separator 663, a cup 664, a spinner 665, and a ball exit 666. For example, when a ball 654 appears to collide with a peg 659, the trajectory of the ball 654 may be altered. Typically, the ball 654 may appear to collide with many different combinations of objects before exiting the game playing area 658. The exit of the ball 654 may correspond to the game outcome determined by the controller 100. For example, when the ball 654 exits the game playing area 658 through the ball exit 666, a player may lose the wager on the game. When the ball 654 exits the game playing area 658 through one of the cups 664 or the bonus region exit 667, the game outcome may be an award of some type.

[0117] Many other objects and exits are also possible with a pachinko game. These objects and exits may vary in size and location on the video display 70. Further, the distribution and number of objects on the video display 70 are not fixed and may be varied to change the game outcome presentation. However, the game outcome presentation does not affect the determination of the game outcome by the controller 100.

[0118]FIG. 18 is a flow chart of the pachinko routine 252 shown schematically in FIG. 4. In a block 670, a player may initiate a game by making a wager. In a block 672, the controller 100 may receive a presentation mode signal. The presentation mode signal may carry information regarding selections by the player for one or more of the following game inputs including game speed, game background pattern, elasticity of the pachinko balls, size of the pachinko balls or the game layout. The controller 100 may use the presentation mode signal to determine features of a game outcome presented to the player. In block 674, the controller 100 receives a signal to start the pachinko gaming routine. In the block 676, the controller 100 determines a game outcome using a random number generator and a pay table stored within a memory in the gaming machine. The game outcome may be affected by the wager the player has made on this game and previous games or the number of game outcome presentations being presented such as a player playing multiple pachinko balls at one time.

[0119] In block 678, the controller 100 may receive a game presentation input signal. This signal may be used to determine the features of a game outcome presentation. For example, a game presentation input signal received by the controller 100 may contain information regarding the distance the player has moved a plunger away from a pachinko ball on the display screen 70. This distance may be used to generate or select a trajectory for a game outcome presentation. In block 680, the controller determines the game outcome presentation. The features of the game outcome presentation may depend on information from the presentation mode signal from block 672, the game outcome determined by the controller 100 in block 676, the information received from the presentation input signal in block 678 and information from previous game outcome presentations currently being presented on the display 70.

[0120] In block 682, after calculating an appropriate game outcome presentation for the game, the game outcome presentation is displayed on the display 70. In block 684, the game outcome is displayed on the display 70. The game outcome may be a message of some type containing information regarding whether the outcome of the game is an award of some amount or loss of the wager made on the game.

[0121] Although the above routine has been described as a virtual pachinko machine routine in which a pachinko board and pachinko balls are represented as images on the display unit 70, actual pachinko boards and pachinko balls capable of being manually manipulated may be utilized instead. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A gaming apparatus, comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a light bezel having a plurality of independently operable lights, said independently operable lights being capable of displaying visual colors; a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a first processor and a first memory operatively coupled to said first processor, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a pachinko board and a pachinko ball if said game comprises video pachinko, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game, said gaming unit controller being programmed to read a light display pattern file stored in said first memory, said light display pattern file having a first light display pattern and a second light display pattern, each of said light display patterns having color illumination data for illuminating said plurality of lights; and a light bezel controller operatively coupled to said light bezel and operatively coupled to said gaming unit controller via a universal serial bus (USB) peripheral bus connection, said light bezel controller comprising a second processor and a second memory operatively coupled to said second processor, said light bezel controller being programmed to receive one of said light display patterns from said gaming unit controller, said light bezel controller being programmed to read said illumination data contained within said light display pattern, and said light bezel controller being programmed to cause the light display pattern to be generated on said light bezel by illuminating said plurality of lights in accordance with said illumination data.
 2. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, said light bezel controller being programmed to adapt said illumination data contained within said light display pattern to allow said illumination data to be capable of being generated on said plurality of lights of said light bezel.
 3. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 2, said light bezel controller being programmed to adapt said illumination data contained within said light display pattern to allow said illumination data to be capable of being generated on a second light bezel having a second plurality of lights.
 4. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, said gaming unit controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device to attract a player to said gaming unit.
 5. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 1, said gaming unit controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device to inform a player of said gaming unit of the status of a game play.
 6. A gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming apparatuses as defined in claim 1, said gaming apparatuses being interconnected to form a network of gaming apparatuses.
 7. A gaming system as defined in claim 6, wherein said gaming apparatuses are interconnected via the Internet.
 8. A gaming apparatus, comprising: a display unit that is capable of generating video images; a value input device; a peripheral bus connection adapted to operatively couple said gaming apparatus with a light device, said light device having a plurality of independently operable lights; a gaming unit controller operatively coupled to said display unit and said value input device, said gaming unit controller comprising a first processor and a first memory operatively coupled to said first processor, said gaming unit controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said gaming unit controller being programmed to cause a video image representing a game to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno or video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a pachinko board and a pachinko ball if said game comprises video pachinko, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said gaming unit controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game, said gaming unit controller being programmed to read a light display pattern file stored in said first memory, said light display pattern file having a first light display pattern and a second light display pattern, each of said light display patterns having color illumination data for illuminating said plurality of lights; and a light device controller operatively coupled to said light device and operatively coupled to said gaming unit controller via said peripheral bus connection, said light device controller comprising a second processor and a second memory operatively coupled to said second processor, said light device controller being programmed to receive one of said light display patterns from said gaming unit controller, said light device controller being programmed to read said illumination data contained within said light display pattern, and said light device controller being programmed to cause the light display pattern to be generated on said light device by illuminating said plurality of lights in accordance with said illumination data.
 9. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 8, said light device controller being programmed to adapt said illumination data contained within said light display pattern to allow said illumination data to be capable of being generated on said plurality of lights of said light device.
 10. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 9, said light device controller being programmed to adapt said illumination data contained within said light display pattern to allow said illumination data to be capable of being generated on a second light device having a second plurality of lights, wherein the second light device is operatively coupled to said gaming machine via said peripheral bus connection.
 11. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said controller is programmed to send said light display pattern to said light device controller via said peripheral bus connection.
 12. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said peripheral bus connection comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral bus connection.
 13. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said light device comprises a light bezel.
 14. A gaming apparatus as defined in claim 12, said gaming unit controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device to attract a player to said gaming unit.
 15. A slot machine, comprising: a plurality of gaming reels; a value input device; a light device having at least one independently operable light; a slot machine controller operatively coupled to said gaming reels and said value input device, said slot machine controller comprising a first processor and a first memory operatively coupled to said first processor, said slot machine controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said slot machine controller being programmed to cause said gaming reels to rotate and stop, representing a game, said slot machine controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said game, said slot machine controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device, and said slot machine controller being programmed to read a light display pattern file stored in said first memory, said light display pattern file having a first light display pattern and a second light display pattern, each of said light display patterns having color illumination data for illuminating said at least one independently operable light; and a light device controller operatively coupled to said light device and operatively coupled to said slot machine controller via a peripheral bus connection, said light device controller comprising a second processor and a second memory operatively coupled to said second processor, said light device controller being programmed to receive one of said light display patterns from said slot machine controller, said light device controller being programmed to read said illumination data contained within said light display pattern, and said light device controller being programmed to cause the light display pattern to be generated on said light device by illuminating said at least independently operable light in accordance with said illumination data.
 16. A slot machine as defined in claim 15 wherein said peripheral bus connection comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral bus connection.
 17. A slot machine as defined in claim 16, wherein said light device comprises a light bezel.
 18. A slot machine as defined in claim 15, said slot machine controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device to attract a player to said gaming unit.
 19. A pachinko gaming apparatus, comprising: a pachinko board element; a plurality of pachinko ball elements; a value input device; a light device having a plurality of independently operable lights; a pachinko gaming controller operatively coupled to said pachinko board element and said value input device, said pachinko gaming controller comprising a first processor and a first memory operatively coupled to said first processor, said pachinko gaming controller being programmed to allow a person to initiate a pachinko game by causing at least one of said plurality of pachinko ball elements to contact said pachinko board element, said pachinko gaming controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said pachinko game, said pachinko gaming controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device, and said pachinko gaming controller being programmed to read a light display pattern file stored in said first memory, said light display pattern file having a first light display pattern and a second light display pattern, each of said light display patterns having color illumination data for illuminating said plurality of lights; and a light device controller operatively coupled to said light device and operatively coupled to said pachinko gaming controller via a peripheral bus connection, said light device controller comprising a second processor and a second memory operatively coupled to said second processor, said light device controller being programmed to receive one of said light display patterns from said pachinko gaming controller, said light device controller being programmed to read said illumination data contained within said light display pattern, and said light device controller being programmed to cause the light display pattern to be generated on said light device by illuminating said plurality of lights in accordance with said illumination data.
 20. A pachinko gaming apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said peripheral bus connection comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) peripheral bus connection.
 21. A pachinko gaming apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein said light device comprises a light bezel.
 22. A pachinko gaming apparatus as defined in claim 19, said pachinko gaming controller being programmed to initiate a light display on said light device to attract a player to said gaming apparatus.
 23. A pachinko gaming apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein said pachinko machine additionally comprises a display, and wherein said pachinko board element comprises an image of a pachinko board on said display
 24. A pachinko machine as defined in claim 23, wherein said plurality of pachinko ball elements comprises images of pachinko balls on said display. 